


I Just Want Us To Be A Family

by Gobsmacked_limbic



Series: Valhalla Green [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: AU, Abandonment, Abandonment Issues, Adoption, Angst, Child Abandonment, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Family, Family Dynamic, Fluff, Foster Parent, Gay dads, Love, M/M, Minor Character Death, Modern AU, Modern Universe, Teen cause I guess it deals with some issues, York just wants a family!, alternative universe, broken relationships, domestic AU, fixed relationships, foster, foster kid, fostering, maybe? - Freeform, nork, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-22 20:19:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7452655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gobsmacked_limbic/pseuds/Gobsmacked_limbic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>York was content with his bachelor life until three year old Delta came onto the scene. Soon that one addition to his homemade family became three and now York's main concern is making sure it stays that way. Fluff, Domestic AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is all okay seeing as how my experience with foster systems etc is what I could find on google. I tried the beta thing but I am a little impatient so I hope all the spelling mistakes are caught. Thanks for reading!

Stepping off the city bus, York was reminded how much he hated public transport. The woman behind him gave the driver a cheery thank you but he did no such thing, his bad mood overtaking him. Usually there was one oddball on any bus, be it a singing drunk or someone still in their pyjamas. York recalled an old woman once sitting beside him and brushing off his concern for the blood running down her leg as if it was nothing.

Weirdoes were nothing new to encounter on public transport.

He had just never imagined he’d end up being one of them.

He recalled the look of horror on a child’s face when he got on and the way his mother pulled him close to her side. A teenage girl across from him couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye but he caught her staring every time he looked away. He supposed he just had to get used to it now, this was his new reality.

It didn’t stop him from pulling his baseball cap lower over his head as he walked away from the bus stop. The district he was now in looked like it came straight out of a promotional flyer, with perfectly trimmed trees and bushes lining the pathway. Each of the two story homes was immaculate with fresh coats of paint and he was pretty sure the fountain at the nearby green was new. Some places took the tidy neighbourhood award a little too seriously and he knew all too well how serious the residents here were about it.

“My word, York is that you?” The joyous tone used by the person that called out to him was replaced by a stunned “Oh my!” which the woman clearly regretted immediately once York turned to face her.

“Mrs. Brady.” He inclined his head politely, seeing the confused look in her eyes. It didn’t last long however, replaced by concern, then pity. Between her and the child on the bus, he didn’t know which was worst. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way to see Vanessa so…”

“Y-yes of course…” She stumbled, mouth opening and closing like a floundering fish as she tried to find the words to apologise. “Good to see you again.” It was all she could manage as the twenty-three year old lowered his head once more, focusing on the sidewalk.

It had been almost a year since he had been back here which really was far too long. He may have ran from the place the moment he turned eighteen but now, five years later, he grew to appreciate what he previously hadn’t been able to.

Growing up in foster care had been hard for York. When his parents put him in the system, he was six. He had been old enough to remember something else before the home hopping and temporary families. Even though his earliest memories mainly consist of a screaming and blame, the child he used to be romanticised his birth family to an unhealthy degree.

_‘It’s okay, I’m only here for a little while, they’ll come back when they miss me.’_ How many years had he told himself that? He would lie to himself, even though every night he could still hear the masculine voice in his dreams **'We were fine until he came along…he ruined everything!'**

Even now he heard it some nights and waking up next to a stranger didn’t to all that much to dull the pain. Brushing the thoughts away, the brunette tilted up his head, looking around. There were still five or six houses between him and his destination, Vanessa Kimball’s residence.

The Kimball/Doyle residence hadn’t been his first home by any means. The troubled child bounced from foster family to foster family like it was a game. His moodiness only increased with every year and every house that would eventually push him away. Soon, simple backtalk turned into him blatantly disobeying the orders his carers would give him. Vanessa and Donald had been warned of this before they fostered him. At that point he was a jaded teenager, too steeped in anger to see how lucky he was to have them willing to give him a home despite the cautionary tales they had received.

Vanessa had been unable to have a family of her own but she hadn’t let that stop her from creating one. When York came to their house he was far from the only child. There were five other kids, just enough to fill all the spare rooms in their grandiose home. He had been the eldest at the time, as well as the one most broken by the system but Vanessa and Donald tried to change that.

Vanessa was clearly the leader in their relationship. She was mostly the decision maker and always the action taker. She was no-nonsense and stood firm by her beliefs. A thoroughly modern woman, she even kept her last name after her marriage to her meeker husband Donald Doyle. He adored his wife, thinking her strength and determination were unparalleled to anyone else, however even unfaltering admiration didn’t stop them bickering constantly. The fighting was never like he remembered from his parents; there was always a hint of a smile and playful shove to each and every insult and disagreement. At the time that had just made him angrier.

There was never a concrete reason to his anger. Vanessa and Donald cared immensely for him and the five other children for the two years they had them. However, the moment he turned eighteen he was out of there. The young boy had been working on weekends in the hardware shop, saving up just enough so that when he was eighteen he could move into a ratty apartment with his best friend Carolina, determined he didn’t need any help from the family despite their best efforts.

Two years later when he was twenty, he had a better head on his shoulders and more of an appreciation for where he was in life. This was when he reached out to the only family who ever actually cared about him. They had only been too willing to accept him back into their lives despite how much trouble he had caused them in the past. He would come see them every couple of months and was thankful for the time he had with them, particularly after Donald passed away.

Although he spoke to her all the time on the phone since his passing, this was the first time since his funeral almost a year before that York had been able to come see Vanessa. He had decided to give her a little space after what happened but a little space turned into a bigger space and then every time he considered coming to see her he would feel guilty for leaving it so long and struggling to bring himself to go. However with what happened to him the other week, he wasn’t going to waste any more time.

The sound of children’s laughter was the first sign he was near the right house. He could see a number of kids running around, giggling and screaming as their game of tag grew increasingly more boisterous. The garden of the house they played in was every bit as large as the others but the upkeep wasn’t nearly up to standard. There were patches on the walls of the house showing the paint wasn’t quite as fresh as the neighbours.

“OUCH! Bitters sthap that!” A small, girl in a red dress spat through her braces as a clearly older boy with bright, ginger hair pulled her pigtail in an attempt to catch her.

“Ouch Bitters stop that!” A third child wearing a white tank top and aqua summer shorts mimicked.

“Don’t be rude Palomo!” Child number four snapped. He was more like preteen as he towered over the other kids, his blue adult sized t-shirt just noticeably too big for him.

“Oh can’t the four of you just pretend to be a team instead of at each other’s throats?” A familiar voice dragged York’s attention away from the four kids towards the older woman who stood in the doorway of the household. She spotted him by their gate immediately and waved him over, smiling.

While Kimball didn’t seem to acknowledge anything different in York, the four children all stared with wide eyes. The little girl looked afraid and the shortest boy appeared almost fascinated by the red scar tissue covering half of his face. He decided to give them a grimace and a nod, unable to bring himself to do more. Vanessa however got not just a grin, but a hug as well.

“It’s so good to see you.” She squeezed her old foster child, pulling back and gazing to him with a warm smile spread across her face, but sadness still lurking in her eyes. Why hadn’t he come back sooner?

“You too.” His words were little more than a whisper and he sucked in a breath. “You got the kettle on?” His attempt to lighten the slowly darkening mood seemed to work as she chuckled softly and indicated for him to follow inside. “You’re looking well Vanessa.” 

“Oh I’m surviving.” Her voice still had a painful ache tucked away beneath her cheery tone. She walked him to the kitchen but the male hesitated as they passed by a hallway filled with pictures of children of any age, any ethnicity. York hadn’t even escaped Doyle’s camera and his photo sat in the same location, the sixteen year old glaring like a spoiled child. “The kids keep me going.”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t recognise any of them.” They stopped near the end of the wall and she examined the pictures. 

“They’re somewhere…ahhh…” She indicated to corresponding photographs as she spoke. “Antoine has been here before but he was with another family for a while, good kid but a little…well he reminds me of you.” Both of them chuckled. “Katie is the youngest of those four, sweet kid but I’ve to keep a constant eye on her, the child nearly broke her leg falling off a trike for goodness sake. John’s the eldest of them, a real head on his shoulders, he really watches out for them and Charles…..well…..he’s special.” She stopped by a spot where no picture frame was, just a nail in the wall. “I have a fifth….” Her tone once more hinted more at sadness than joy as she gazed to the blank spot. “You’ll meet him soon, let’s go get that coffee.”

Some minutes later and York was nursing a hot mug in his hands, Vanessa sitting across from him and blowing on her green tea to cool it down.

“How have you been holding up?”

“I miss him…” She gazed into the tea cup before flinging her eyes upwards. “I mean...he drove me absolutely crazy. I can’t remember a single thing we ever fully agreed on but….it was so sudden.” To everyone’s knowledge, doctors included, Doyle had been healthy. There was no issue with his heart and he had no sicknesses. He was a prime man in his late fifties who still took brisk walks in the morning and even ran a marathon a mere three months before his death. They had no explanation why it happened other than that he fell asleep and never woke up. “I often think if he had been sick would it have been harder or easier…” 

“You couldn’t watch him suffer Vanessa.”

“No but I could have said goodbye.” It had been so long since she spoke about it in person and she forgot how much harder it was than chatting on the phone. Most of her neighbours had this conversation with her shortly after the funeral but now she had eleven months to dwell on it, every moment, every regret. “It’s just…they said bed death is so rare and to not have any explanation other than ‘he just died’ kills me…” York’s hand stretched across the table, covering her own and she looked up to his face, seeing the pity there. It didn’t make her feel as bad as it did coming from others but she still broke eye contact. “Anyway we’ve talked this topic to death on the phone.” She freed her hand from his grip and rubbed her eyes. “What about you? How are you adjusting?”

“Still can’t drive.” He finally removed the baseball cap and sighed, recalling the bus journey to get here as he sipped on the scorching liquid. “They said they’d give it another few weeks, give me a chance to learn how to compensate and take the eye test again so it’s possible I’ll be back on the road soon.” Being confined to bus times and taxis was driving him mad. He hadn’t considered these changes would be the ones to push him to his limit. “The staring everywhere I go doesn’t help either.”

“It’s just that it’s fresh, once it heals hardly anyone will notice.” Vanessa tried to reassure him but the woman’s words didn’t sound too sure. It had only been three weeks since York’s incident. The left side of his face was still covered in nasty scar tissue that had maintained its redness. His once full volume, brown hair had been shaven and now was short against his head, not full of its usual product. The sagging scar tissue looked far from appealing but the doctors had told the male it would heal in time. In time just didn’t seem quick enough for the young man. He was used to being looked at with envy or desire, not disgust and pity. “So the eyeball…is there a reason you went with the clear one?”

When York had told her he received a glass eye she had pictured it to be one that would match his previous brown. Instead a blank, white orb caught her attention a little more that she would like to admit.

“You know…the docs reassured me no one would know…that they could perfectly match my eye and it would move and once the scarring healed it’d be like a distant memory but…people would notice. Maybe not immediately but they’d see somethings wrong. Maybe it wouldn’t emote or maybe lag or something…I don’t know. I just figured I don’t want people staring silently, trying to figure out what’s wrong with my face.” He groaned as he leaned back in the chair, Vanessa tapping her foot against his leg to have him bring it back down on all fours. “It probably makes no sense.”

“Well maybe not to me but it’s your face York; you’re the one living with it so make the decisions yourself.” Typical Vanessa, she didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear or agree for the sake of agreeing. 

“Maybe later I’ll get a proper eye but if people are gonna stare let’s give them something to stare at.” The topic eventually moved on, becoming less personal but more passionate as per usual when Malcolm Hargrove was involved.

“The man is disgusting but no one can see the corruption right in front of them.” Vanessa had always been heavily involved in both local and state politics and York was sick of telling her that she should take that passion and run herself. However she had yet to take him seriously. “Have you heard of the company Charon?”

“I think…were they one of those WikiLeaks companies?”

“Not exactly, proof hasn’t really been found but there’s a belief that they are selling US Military equipment and secrets to terrorist organisations. I mean you heard the rumours about him and Freelancer and now just GUESS who’s the CEO of said co-“ A door creaking opened disrupted Vanessa from her fast paced rant and both turned around to see the elusive fifth child. “Delta.” Her smile wasn’t returned by the child, not out of rudeness, the small boy was just more focused on the new addition to the room. “This is York, York is..”

“You look different in your photo outside.” She small boy was clearly younger than any of the other kids but he spoke with a mature tone that York hadn’t been expecting as he walked into the kitchen, book tucked under his arm and an empty glass in the other. He filled himself some water, using a stool to more comfortably reach the tap and York took a moment to examine him. At his estimation the boy must have been five or six, even if he was a little short for his age. His skin tone was darker than any of the other children here and his curly hair was cut short. The brilliant, green eyes stood out to York, reminding him so much of Carolina. Green always had been his favourite colour.

“You must be hungry Delta, you didn’t have any lunch.” Kimball stood up with the intention of getting him a sandwich but Delta shook his head.

“I’m not hungry but thank you.” Sipping on his water, he turned his attention to York. His look wasn’t scared or pitying but interested as he scanned his features. “What happened to your eye?”

“Delta!” Vanessa hushed him but the boy didn’t look remorseful for his question and York just smiled.

“It’s fine, Vanessa.” It was refreshing to have someone just ask instead of stare. “I was in an accident but the doctors said I’ll be fine soon.” The boy shook his head.

“No, you’ll still have some scars.” He noted the difference in intensity of scarring, the darker red as opposed to the lighter coloured surface damage further from the eye. Kimball looked humiliated and patted the boy on the back.

“Oh Delta, go on back to your books, the adults are talking.” She mouthed an apology to York over the boys head but the young man brushed it off, smiling as the child left. 

“So he’s the fifth?” She smiled, nodding.

“Delta, he’s only three but…”

“Holy shit, he’s three?!” York burst out, eyes wide as he gazed to the door where the boy had left. “Aren’t three year olds like…still learning how to speak and crap?” Kimball chuckled and shook her head.

“It’s been a while since you were around kids I see…he is exceptional though. He’s reading at a fourth grade level and he’s so independent, I could almost leave him home alone.” The more she spoke, the quieter and slower her voice got, as if lost in her own thoughts. She was pulled out of them however as the eldest of her foster children burst in the door.

“Vanessa! Katie’s after falling of her bike, she’s bleeding!” He informed her. The woman threw her eyes to heaven, audibly wondering how they got the bikes out of the shed when she had locked them in for the day.

“I better go take care of this. York you look after yourself, I’ll be right back.” Once she left the room, the twenty-three year old decided it was time for a wander. It had been a while since he was back in the house so he took a little stroll with the excuse of stretching his legs. So little had changed since he had been here, more kids had come and gone, many making their mark in some way or another but for the most part it looked the same. York couldn’t help but wonder if she had renovated that play room like she had wanted to. The male walked in and saw nothing has changed; in fact it looked a little worse for wear with the wallpaper peeling. Delta was curled up on a love seat, paying attention to only his book, the glass of water by his side.

“Prisoner of Azkaban was my favourite.” The child looked up as York sat on the couch across from him, indicating to the last Harry Potter book he held in his hands. “Sirius is the best character.”

“That’s just a matter of opinion.” The boy placed his bookmark between the pages, closing the book. “I prefer Dumbledore.”

“Yeah he’s pretty cool.” York took in the sight of the young boy. Even now that he knew his age he still couldn’t see it. Instead of being small for a six year old the boy was stretched out for a child of three, his soft features young but his eyes were old. “You like reading?” The child nodded.

“I’ve read all of Vanessa’s book though…”

“How long have you been here?” Nine months the boy told him and considering the shelves of stories that was highly impressive. 

“How long were you here?” The boy responded in kind, his emerald eyes scanning York’s. By his feet he had a bag with one or two books peeking out and if York wasn’t mistaken there was also the photo frame that should have been hanging on the wall.

“Two years.” He wasn’t sure why but his response was greeted with a sad look as the boy glanced down to his book again, running his fingers along the spine.

“What happened to your eye?” Delta changed the conversation and York couldn’t shake the feeling that his answer had stirred some thoughts in the boy, thoughts he was curious about. Still he didn’t wish to prod.

“It was an accident.”

“Well, what kind of accident?” The child wasn’t shying away from him, wasn’t looking in horror or trying to dart around the topic of his eye like most adults would. He was curious, he wanted a real answer and York decided to give it to him.

“I work in a bank, I stand by the door and if anyone suspicious comes in…I deal with them.” Delta corrected him, informing him his job was security and York chuckled, he didn’t have to overly explain things to the child, he really was smart. “Well someone suspicious came in and they wanted to rob us…so I dealt with it and…” He tapped a finger against his cheek. “He had a MK3 grenade and when I tried to push some people out of harm’s way I got hurt. They’re okay though so I guess I’m kinda a hero.”

“Or you were just doing your job.” There was no maliciousness or sass in the boy’s words, he just spoke his thoughts. York worked in security, so he was supposed to keep people secure. Delta looked confused with the loud laugh that escaped the guest.

“Yeah…I was just doing my job.” He continued to laugh at this. Adults who heard his story couldn’t tell him enough how brave and wonderful he was, sometimes it was nice to just hear the truth.

“Are you going to go back to work?” York had to consider the question. The bank itself was undergoing repairs but it was open for business. His superiors said they would talk about his job after his recovery but he wasn’t sure whether they’d be happy with a man with no depth perception keeping an eye on the place, even if they considered his actions more heroic than Delta did.

“Probably.”

“Even after what happened to you, you want to be a security man?” Deltas questions hit him harder than he thought they would, provoking him to really think beyond his recovery. He had been so focused on his face that he hadn’t considered anything about the future.

“I liked the feeling that I was keeping people safe.” He admitted, licking his lips and sucking his bottom lip into his mouth, biting it as he thought. “But I guess I’d like to do more than just stand on a door to do that…” Unexpectedly, the dark haired boy smiled.

“That’s more like a hero.” For a moment they sat in comfortable silent, York mulling over the words. He had been called a hero a good few times in the last few weeks but right now it meant a lot more.

“Well…what about you Delta?” He changed the topic of conversation. “Do you know what you want to do?”

“I’m only in kindergarten.” He reminded the man who for a moment entirely forgot he was talking to such a young child. York felt his cheeks blush and he was about to apologise when Delta spoke again, looking to the door. “I don’t want to be in the way.”

“In the way?” He quizzed, unsure what was going on. Vanessa had never been the kind to make anyone, even a bratty teenage York, feel they were in the way. What was it the boy felt that made him think like that?

“Oh there you both are.” Speaking of the devil, the woman walked in the door, Delta pressing his lips together to avoid saying more. “I hope Delta’s behaving himself for you York.”

“He’s being perfect; he’s a credit to you Vanessa.” York knew he wasn’t imagining the saddened and guilty look in her eyes at those words and he stood up. “Delta it was great to meet you. I really enjoyed our chat.”

“Me too.” The boy responded, burying himself in the book without so much as a goodbye and York led Vanessa out of the room and back to the kitchen.

“Hey, what’s going on?” He queried, knowing something was up. Between Delta’s statement and that look in her eyes.

“York…” Tears welled up in her eyes as she took in a breath to try stop them from falling down her cheeks before they got the kitchen. She even closed the door behind them. “I can’t…do this without him.” Her breath was shaking but she took a few to calm herself. “I can’t afford to care for all five of them by myself.” The look of pure guilt had washed over her as she took in a shaky breath. “Katie…Charles, John and Antoine…they’ve become reliant on each other…Katie and John have never been apart and as a group they just….I can’t split them up. Delta….Delta’s more independent…”

“You’re putting him back in the system?” York felt his chest tighten as an unexpected sob escaped Kimball. She clasped her hand over her mouth to stop any more outbursts of emotions but she couldn’t hide her quivering voice and teary eyes.

“H-he told me to…” She shook her head. “I don’t know how…but he realised a-and one night he told me…he’d be okay….and I’m here, listening to a child because I can’t afford to give him a home by myself.” Her stray tears turned to a reluctant flood and she felt York’s arm’s wrap around her, holding her close as he hushed her. She had been struggling for weeks. Her neighbours, as much as they tried to be understanding were constantly pressuring her to keep her house up to their usual standard and the widows pension wasn’t exactly helping feed and clothe five kids. The reimbursement she got for the kids hardly covered anything, it just wasn’t financially viable.

Delta had caught her crying one night and while she tried to explain it away with excuses of having watched a sad movie or thinking of Doyle, he wasn’t fooled. Three years old and he knew not only that she couldn’t afford to keep them all but also that realistically he was the best option to go. He didn’t cry, didn’t beg, didn’t say anything and just told her it was okay before taking his photo down from the wall with no explanation.

She wished so desperately she could prove the beautiful child wrong, show him she could care for them all and give him a happy home but here she was, crying in York’s arms because a three year old was more realistic than she was.

“He’s such a great child.” After her crying fit she calmed a little, nursing the new cup of green tea that York had made for her. “So intelligent and kind but I…” She closed her eyes and sniffled. “I’m an awful…”

“Don’t even finish that though.” York stopped her from his seat across the table. “You’ve tried so hard to give these kids a home Vanessa and even if it was only nine months you gave Delta all the love and warmth he could want.”

“What if he ends up with someone who…won’t care for him or won’t appreciate him?” She rested her head in her hands, the question that plagued her for months lingering in the air. York had no response, he just sat in silence, thinking of his one roomed apartment and the unsavoury neighbours that never let him get a nights sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delta's feeling pretty positive about his new foster parent and a little later down the line North is learning how best to approach his boyfriends kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! It means a lot and I love everyone and if you're reading this I hope you enjoy x

“Delta?” He didn’t look up from his book, his eyes furiously reading the same sentence for the fourth time yet he didn’t even realise it. “Delta? Are you ready?”

Eventually he looked up, his lips pressed tightly as his Aiden Price knelt down in front of him. Seven months had passed by since he had left the Kimball residence and despite how he had insisted that he was okay with it at the time, the now four year old realised how lucky he had been in that home.

“I guess so.” He finally responded, placing his trusty bookmark in its place and closing the book. Here he was, once more ready to give home life a try, or at least as ready as he’d ever be. The social workers calming voice reminding him that everything was going to be okay and Delta picked up his duffle bag. How sad to think his entire life could be packed up in just one rucksack. He didn’t dwell on the thought however, just followed the taller male into a room where another male was sitting.

“Hey there Delta.” A warm voice greeted him in a familiar way and he looked across the table to see a much less scarred York.

“Yorkshire?” He couldn’t help but smile. Mr. Price had informed him of his foster parents name and while he found humour in the thoughts of someone’s parents naming them after an English county he never considered it could be _him_. The brunette chuckled and shook his head.

“Let’s keep that between you and me.” He winked with his still blank, white eye.

“We’re just going to have a talk before you leave with Yorkshire.” York cringed at the use of his name by the social worker. “To make sure you’re happy before you leave.” The dark haired boy nodded as he sat down. His hair had grown considerably, curls falling over his brow. He remained much the same however, still tall and slim for his age with glasses now somewhat covering his dazzling green eyes.

York had changed a lot more. His scaring had indeed mostly cleared up but Delta had been correct that it wouldn’t fully heal. York had managed to grow accustomed to the imperfections, even accept them; it turned out to be a conversation starter at the very least. Once he was able to convince himself that his scar could be considered dangerous, maybe even sexy, his confidence came back in bulk. His hair was also back to a more comfortable length, gelled up and off his face.

“Your eye looks better.” The child noted, resulting in a smile from York.

“Yeah but I think I look more like a super villain at this point.” He noted, Delta’s lip curling upward just a little.

“Do you still work at the bank?” His future foster parent nodded and leaned on the table. 

“Yeah but I’m also studying.” He had signed up for a business course in which fifty percent of the coursework was done through night classes and the rest online. During his many interviews with the social worker about his readiness to foster, he had assured him the night time lessons were over. All he had to complete were his online classes. He still worked in the bank in order to afford not only the classes but his new two bedroom apartment that had been thoroughly inspected a total of three times by the male sitting alongside Delta. 

They were satisfied with the arrangement. It was very close to the local school and while he did work until five Monday to Friday, he had two local friends willing to keep an eye on Delta for him after each school day until he could pick him up. York had this all worked out. His new apartment was in the Blood Gulch apartment complex. It took some time to convince Aiden Price that the name was misleading but once he saw the place, he was satisfied. His best friend’s parents actually ran the complex, even living in the building and due to his close relationship with their daughter Carolina, his rent was more reasonable than others.

Earlier in his life, his pride wouldn’t have allowed him to accept handouts. Now that he wanted to provide a life for not only himself but Delta too, he would accept any help he could get.

“I’m studying for a business degree.” He continued to explain, seeing the boy’s growing interest when he told him he was back in education. “I was thinking about starting up my own security business…protect people my way.”

“Like a superhero.”

“Like a superhero.” He repeated and silence fell between them for a long moment or two, making Aiden Price clearly more uncomfortable than it made either of them.

“So Delta do you have any…”

“I’d like to go with Mr. York if that’s okay.” He looked up to the tall man with his silky voice and slim frame, noting the surprised look in his eyes. Delta was usually a very calculating young boy, often prying and digging with the most unexpected and deepest of questions. He liked to know everything about a situation before he would even consider getting involved. In the past, he practically grilled his foster parents but now all it took was a few small smiles and some joke about superheroes and he was ready to go.

“If you are sure.” Some paperwork was slid towards York who signed it quickly, unable to keep the large grin from his face. Once all formalities were completed, York stood and shook Aiden’s hand with a thank you before turning to Delta. His hand flexed out, contemplating taking the young boys hand but instead he leaned down.

“Can I carry your bag for you?” He had no idea what he was doing, after all the homes he went to, all the foster parents he could have tried to model himself after, he still had no clue how was the best way to greet a child coming to live with you.

“Okay.” The boy responded, equally unsure as he handed it off. They waked side by side out of the office, York’s hand twitching to pat his head or touch his shoulder or something but instead he just carried his bag. Delta walked with both hands behind his back, looking forward but unable to hide the smile plastered across his face.

***

“HE DID TAKE IT! HE DID! ITS RIGHT THERE!”

“I’m not saying I didn’t take it, I’m saying I need it more!”

“BUT I WORKED SUPER HARD ON IT! POP! PAPA TELL HIM TO GIVE IT BACK!”

“What is going on in here?” North burst through the door of the office, gazing down to the two boys. It had been long over a year since North and York started dating, almost as long since the boys had known each other and just three months since the four decided to take the next step. North and Theta packed up their lives and moved from their small terraced house across town to the semidetached, red brick building in Valhalla Green. While York and Theta moved their stuff from a mere two blocks up the road, finally out of Blood Gulch. Only last week they unpacked the last box and while the office was already getting a bit cluttered with everything from North’s excess wine glasses to York’s notebooks with immature scribbles, the rest of the house was really coming along nicely.

“Delta took my drawing!” Four year old Theta accused, his eyes welling up with frustrated tears and his nose watering as he angrily sniffed.

“I told you not to draw on it!” The seven year old snapped back, indicating to his intricate model of Big Ben made entirely out of sturdy cardboard paper. Delta spun around to North to plead his case. “My project is due tomorrow, I **need** all the pieces and I told him not to use them but he did and there’s no way there’s any art shop open now so I **had** to use it!” He spoke quickly, without taking a single breath or pause but North caught every word. 

The house was coming along nicely and their little family was settling down but arguments were to be expected, this was just the first one that wasn’t simply bickering over who got to sit where in the car and York wasn’t even here to help him. North was fully certain there was more cardboard paper unopened in the kitchen as York had bought extra just in case it was needed and he had a feeling that Delta knew that too.

He planned to remind the elder boy of this and tell him to apologise for taking Theta’s picture before having Theta stop with his screaming and not to be so hung up over a drawing. However he found he couldn’t get the words out. This wasn’t the same as just telling them to sit down and tie their seatbelts. This was a proper argument, he could try and be diplomatic but in the end he would be giving out to his boyfriend’s son and he was hesitant to do that.

“Theta.” His son looked confused when suddenly he turned around to him, a frown on his brow. “Apologise to Delta.”

“But..”

“Delta needed the cardboard and he told you not to use it.” The tears grew bigger as his little boy tried to justify himself.

“But HE DIDN’T!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me!” He sounded a little angrier than he had anticipated and Theta stopped in his tracks, staring to his father, grey eyes swimming in tears. “You should have listened to Delta, now apologise to him and then it’s straight to bed.”

“I’m not tired!” He attempted to reason but his wining voice and huffy attitude did nothing to help the situation. A warning look from his Pop caused Theta to turn to Delta. “I’m sorry.” He said with no sincerity in his tone what so ever before he stormed away, grumbling how he was always the one who got in trouble. North followed, telling the boy if he had something to say he should say it to his face, his tone still annoyed. This left Delta alone in the office, his finished model drying beside him and the muffled arguments of a boy and his pop outside. 

North sided with him.

So why did he feel bad about it then?

It only took another hour or so for Delta’s dad to come home. In that hour Theta had gone to bed in a huff, shouting about how unfair all this was and it wasn’t his fault. His shouts turned to tears and both Delta and North could hear him crying in the shared bedroom all the way from the sitting room. North had been sitting on the couch alongside his boyfriend’s kid, both of them reading but he turned down the corner of the book to mark his place and closed it.

“Sorry about this bud.” He patted the child’s head. “I should go take care of him.” It was clear Theta wasn’t letting this go and North had been feeling guilty ever since he yelled at his son earlier, insisting he go to bed. The twenty-nine year old walked into the boy’s bedroom. It was painted a turquoise colour and was decorated with wall stickers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers and one of Elsa from Frozen for Theta. 

There were two beds; one was a single bed with a wooden headboard and a Turtles bed cover. The underside of the bed was raised but North got a little creative and made a small shelf to fit underneath so Delta would be able to get to his books without getting in and out constantly. On the other side of the room was a race car shaped one. It was much lower to the ground and considerably smaller. The base was merely plastic but it was something Theta had begged for ever since he could say the word race car. His son was curled up on top of his Paw Patrol covers, sobbing into his pillow and North sat beside him.

“I’m sorry buddy.” He whispered, stroking his hair. The little blonde pulled away, turning onto his side with his back to his father.

“I d-didn’t…do….he didn’t…” He hiccupped, having upset himself far more than necessary over the whole thing.

“Theta I know it feels unfair but you shouldn’t have taken his supplies, just like he shouldn’t have…” The small boy immediately sat up, glaring at his dad.

“If Delta shouldn’t have done something then why’d you only get mad at me?!” He demanded to know, pouting. When North didn’t answer immediately he turned back into his bed and the sensation of guilt returned to his Pop’s stomach. Theta couldn’t understand and he wasn’t sure he wanted to explain it to a child. It was a hard situation to be in. North was so excited to have York and Delta in their lives and despite his current mood Theta was too. Almost immediately after introducing the boys together, Theta started asking Delta if he’d be his brother. This was their chance to be a family but it was still difficult to know exactly where North stood and how he could behave when it came to Delta.

“C’mere.” He tried to make it up to his kid by curling up on the bed behind him. In their old house Theta never slept in his own room. He slept in North’s bed, just like this with his dad being the big spoon. More often than not North would have to drive him around for a half an hour or more before the little boy fell asleep but sometimes cuddling worked. It wasn’t until Delta agreed to share a room with him that he started to use his own bed once more. Even so, he fell asleep a lot quicker with his dads’ arms around him and now was no exception. For a few minutes he still let out soft, self-pitying whines but soon enough his breathing became regular and the four year old slept soundly with his back against his dad.

When York came home, the last thing he expected to find was Delta still in the sitting room reading. He was a night owl like his father figure but he had thought he’d at least be in bed. It only took a moment to notice how the young boy wasn’t feeling himself; he had that vacant look in his eyes as he just stared to the pages, not even scanning them.

“What’s wrong?” He asked before he even said hello, walking over and plopping himself down beside the boy. Theta closed the book without even marking his page, a sure way to see something was bothering him.

“North and Theta had a fight.” He fixed his glasses, pushing them further up his nose.

“Oh…well that happens in families Delta.”

“Yeah but…” He sighed. “I feel bad York.” His voice was soft and he rested the book beside him, leaning back against the couch. Only now he realised the twenty-seven year old had his arm stretched behind him and while he didn’t curl into his touch, he didn’t pull away.

“Delta don’t feel bad.” Before he could say another word, the younger boy glared, shaking his head.

“Don’t say it’s not my fault…Theta drew on one of the pieces of paper I was using and I took it, cut it up and used it anyway.” York was ready to reassure him that it was just a small issue, that come tomorrow Theta would have forgotten all about it. “But North didn’t even tell me off…he just blamed Theta.” The way the younger boy chewed on his lip showed this was it; this was what bothered him the most.

“Is it wrong that he stood by your side?” His hand moved to Delta’s back, rubbing gently as the younger boy took in a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling.

“That’s not it…what if he can’t get annoyed at me because he’s scared to get on the bad side of his boyfriends foster kid?” For once the child was struggling to articulate, his brow furrowed in concentration as he attempted to express his thoughts. “I don’t _want_ him to be mad at me…I’m not sure how to…this is just hard…” York gave the boy a couple of moments silence to gather his thoughts and with a clench of his fists Delta spoke once more. “When we moved in here, you said we’d be a family.”

“We are a family.” He was reassured with another stroking of the back.

“I don’t know…Theta’s already asked if he can call you dad…I don’t even do that…”

“Hey, hey now.” The brunettes hand moved, touching his cheek and turning the boys head to look towards him. “You and I decided you can call me whatever you want whenever you feel like it.”

“But don’t you want me to call you dad?” He looked so conflicted, turning his face away. “I’m sorry…I know that’s not what this is…”

“Come here you.” Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him close and York kissed the top of his head. “You know that’s not it…this is all new to me too Delta and that’s okay. No matter what you call me, you’re my boy.” He felt the child weakly nuzzle against him and smiled, squeezing his arms tight. “Let me get out of these gross work clothes and we’ll talk some more, alright?” A tired nod was the only response he got before standing and making his way to the bedroom.

Delta stared after him and sighed, resting his head in his hands. Why was he making things difficult for people? It felt like it was his greatest talent after his brain. He really was happy here; he really did love Theta and North. North was the kind of dad that kids in the foster home dreamed of. The kind who made hot chocolate when it was raining and had the warmest smile, who made you feel safe and yet here Delta was, annoyed he hadn’t yelled at him. It made no sense to him logically but he couldn’t stop being bothered by it.

In all his old homes there had always been a line between them and him. He was quiet and mostly kept to himself; he was the independent…disposable one. He never really felt he had a place in any of those old foster homes but here was supposed to feel different and when it was he and York it had. Now with a growing family however, he wasn’t sure exactly where he fit in.

York only had a chance to pull his shirt off before strong arms were wrapped around him from behind.

“I didn’t hear you come in.” North muttered quietly, kissing his neck from behind and causing the younger man to shiver. He lingered for a moment longer than necessary before he pulled away. He had to get back to his kid.

“Sorry, I’ll come back to bed I promise just…” He turned to look at his boyfriend and saw the distant look in his eyes. York pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and North reached out to hold him, to keep him for just a moment.

“Is Delta okay?” He whispered, grey eyes gazing to York’s mismatched pair. York's furrowing brow was all the answer he needed and he swore beneath his breath.

“I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in his head.” The man continued to strip; grabbing a pair of pyjama bottoms and covering over his lower half. “Something happened earlier with cardboard?” He gazed to North who just nodded. “Well whatever it is, it’s still bothering him. I’ll come back to bed but I just…”

“Can I talk to him?” The brunette’s brow raised in surprise as North asked for his go ahead and he tilted his head.

“Why are you asking my permission?” There was a pause between them as North let the words sink in. Why was he asking?

“Alright….if he looks for you I’ll come get you.” His soft lips pressed to York’s, thumb gently stroking his cheek. They parted, York not following his lover but instead sitting cross-legged on the bed, wondering how exactly a piece of paper caused all of this tension.

“You mind if I come in?” Delta looked up from his lap, the expression on his face screaming _’you’re not York’_. North waited until he nodded and walked inside, sitting on the couch alongside Delta and taking in a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“About what?” The boy questioned, scratching behind his ear as he tried to figure out what exactly the man felt he should apologise for.

“For making you feel like you weren’t a part of my family.” North leaned back on the couch, staring towards the fireplace in front of him. Delta could see the slow rise and fall of his chest as he maintained his breathing and he waited to hear more. “This is all really new to me and I guess sometimes I don’t make the right decisions. I keep focusing so much on…well getting your approval.” He finally turned to look to the boy, hoping he could understand what he was trying to say. “Earlier today I hesitated…I don’t know why but I was afraid to place any of the blame on you and I thought maybe it was because you were York’s kid but I realise now it’s because I’m so afraid that if I did…you wouldn’t want to be mine.”

“What?” The boy whispered, not having expected this heart to heart with North quiet yet. 

“When we spoke to you and Theta about moving in together, we said we wanted to be a family and I’ve never meant anything more that I meant that. Seeing you and Theta together, you and York together…I love it. Every interaction makes me realise how lucky I am to have you all in my life and I suppose I get scared that…maybe I don’t fit in your life as well as they seem to…so I guess I try a little too hard.”

Delta at the end of the day was still a child and this was only in this moment when he realised adults really didn’t have everything figured out. It was odd to hear his own feelings explained back to him by someone who thought he wouldn’t understand.

“Sometimes I’m scared that Theta only thinks of me like a brother because he doesn’t know any better.” He revealed. He didn’t cry or even whimper but his voice was full of vulnerability that caused North’s heart to break. “And…I suppose it is silly but when you didn’t yell I was scared that….that you only saw me as York’s foster kid and were scared I’d ruin things between you both if you did anything wrong.” His eyes were tightly closed, shutting out any sight of North or the expressions he may have been making. He felt so open and he hated it. In his old houses he never really cared about whether he felt like he belonged or not, he was his own person and his own company was all he needed but he wanted to be a part of this so desperately.

The arms that wrapped around him were a lot bigger than York’s and he felt himself being pulled into North’s chest whether he wanted it or not. Thankfully he did and his slender arms wound around the imposing blonde, holding him close as well.

“If anything I do…anything I say ever bothers you, then come to me.” North pleaded, closing his eyes. “I’m not always going to make the right decisions but every choice I do make I promise I do it because I love you and your brother.” Delta felt North’s lips press to the top of his head just like York normally did and he blinked, only realising now his eyes were watery. He pulled away to rub his eyes in the heel of his hands, sniffling.

“I’m fine.” He reassured the older man, pulling his hands away and giving him a genuine smile so North didn’t even have to question it.

“You want to maybe sleep with York and me?” After a moment’s contemplation, the tired Delta nodded and slipped off the couch. Without thinking, North took his hand in his own and the boy didn’t pull away. Down the hall they walked side by side with North turning out every light behind them. The master bedrooms door was opened and York looked up from his sitting spot on the bed. His smile warmed both of their hearts.

“You gonna sleep with us tonight kiddo?” He questioned, beckoning him over. Delta stood firm by North’s side, still holding his hand and then shook his head unexpectedly.

“Actually…I think I’m going to go to my own room.” He slid his hand from North’s and walked over to York, hugging him. “Night dad.” He whispered, barely audible but if anyone thought York was going to miss the first time his kid called him dad they were wildly mistaken. His wide eyes instantly watered but he fought back any tears, not wanting to appear lame in front of his child as he hugged him back, ruffling his hair when he pulled away.

“Night Delta.” He couldn’t contain his smile and the shy look on the seven year olds face when he pulled back made it almost impossible not to pull him back for another hug. The boy was gone before he had a chance however; hugging Norths side as one large hand rested on his back, pulling him closer.

“Sleep well buddy.” North whispered, giving his back an affectionate pat before the boy made his way to his own bed. He shared a smile with his boyfriend and walked over, sitting beside him. “How did that feel?”

“That was pretty amazing.” He gushed, blinking as a tear escaped. North’s warm hand rested on his cheek, halting it in its path and he gently pulled his partner close, kissing his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

***

“Delta?” The small voice came from the left of the dark room. Delta didn’t have to turn on a light to know Theta was awake and he found himself walking towards the small, race car bed.

“Yeah it’s me.” He whispered, eyes adjusting as he could both see and hear Theta twisting under his blankets and sitting up. His eyes were wide and it was clear he was still upset, his tiredness only making it worse.

“I’m sorry I drew on your castle paper.” He squeaked, bottom lip trembling as he hoped his big brother wouldn’t still be angry at him. Delta sat down on the bed, his arms wrapping around Theta’s neck and holding him close in a hug.

“I’m sorry I got so angry.” He apologised in return, feeling Theta hold him close too, even giving him a little squeeze.

“I thought…thought you were so mad you didn’t wanna see me.” When they moved apart the younger pulled up a blanket to his face, rubbing his eyes in it. The tears were the result of tiredness as well as that feeling of sadness when he woke up a few minutes ago and realised his room was empty. “You’re the bestest brother and…and…” Delta could hear his voice crack as tears threatened again and he hushed him.

“You’re my... _bestest_ brother too.” He whispered, the scared look almost immediately turning to one of delight. Theta could never hide his emotions, he was so trusting of those around him with every thought he had or flicker of feeling. To finally hear Delta call him brother meant everything to the child and with no hesitation he threw himself onto the taller boy, hugging much tighter.

Delta could feel Theta saying something against his shoulder but he was muffled and the older didn’t really have to ask what he was saying. He knew in his heart and he tightened his own hug before patting his back, similar to North.

“Can I sleep here?” He asked in a quiet whisper, a little embarrassed to ask to share the race car bed. Theta looked only too happy as he scooted over, making the room for his sibling and the both of them laid down. He never shared a bed with anyone before, always having one of his own. One had been huge with an iron framing, another had technically been a bunk bed but the second child slept far above him and one was five meters away and had a bookshelf built into it. Still those beds didn’t matter right now as the blonde snuggled up to him, falling asleep just as quickly as if it had been his dad alongside him. Delta couldn’t resist stroking his hair, allowing the feeling to sink in.

This was what it felt like to belong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North had warned Delta about his father, made sure he was aware how deceitful the man could be and how it wasn't a requirement to gain his approval. So is Delta being overly optimistic in hoping maybe his new Grandfather could like him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thaannkk you if you're still reading this! It means a lot! A further thank you to thejokeristhethief not only for her awesome betaing skills and fantastic writing but for listening to my ramblings and hearing out any idea no matter how silly <3

“Pop he keeps pushing his elbow into me!”

“I do NOT!”

“OUCH THAT HURT!”

“Stop lying!”

“NOW HE HIT ME!”

“Jesus CHRIST!” North’s head collided with the headrest of his car seat as he continued to drive, glaring to the boys in his rear view mirror. “Delta, keep your elbows to yourself! Theta, if you don’t stop whining and screaming I’m going to stop this car and…”

“But Delta’s poking me!” This time North saw the elder boy shove his brother in the back of the car, annoyed with his complaining.

“Delta I saw that.” He warned, his voice dangerous and the seven year old pouted, folding his hands.

“He’s annoying me Pop.” He grumbled as if that justified his actions and North almost smiled as Theta moaned even louder. 

“He’s annoying everyone right now but that’s no excuse.” The driving blonde leaned across the console, lowering his voice to his lover. “You are allowed to contribute to this conversation.” He reminded York who just grinned.

“I think you’re handling it pretty well.” He joked before turning around and giving the boys a glare. “Boy’s this dinner’s important, please behave.” York had a sneaking suspicion that their attitude was responsible in part to the terrible humour North had been in all day. They were finally introducing Delta to his parents and South agreed to come to the meal to make it a little easier. North and his father never really got along. The older man hadn’t exactly been the best influence growing up and he had always hoped that once he was old enough to leave the nest he would no longer have to deal with him.

Then Theta was born and with one half of his family wanting nothing to do with him, North couldn’t deny the boy in knowing his grandparents. Delta really was in the same boat, as York didn’t have his parents in his life and North could see the curiosity light up the boy's eyes whenever Theta spoke about his Gammy and Gamma.

It went against every bone in his body to even be in the same room as the man but he’d do anything for the kids. It didn’t stop him from warning Delta about his dad however, the boy deserved to know what he was getting in for.

“I’ll behave if Theta does.” Delta knew he was being childish but he was a little nervous. Deep down he wanted to impress his Pop’s parents even though North claimed that was not a requirement. Delta didn’t know the details of their relationship but he had been warned that Theta’s Gamma was a deceitful, rude man and if the man dared say anything to Delta then North would be more than content to put him in his place. That may have been a little reassuring but was he being overly optimistic in hoping that instead the man would just like him?

The silence in the car was awkward, with Theta still fuming over Delta poking him and Delta lost in his own worried thoughts. North was the worst of all with his permanent scowl. He normally was much calmer around his father, for Theta’s sake but he knew the man was going to cause issue about Delta and he was prepared to attack if that happened.

“It’s going to be okay.” York reassured his lover even though he knew better. His first time meeting his boyfriend's parents hadn’t exactly gone smoothly and resulted in North dragging York out of the house by his wrist, but not before furiously kissing his boyfriend in front of his old man as if that would show him.

 _“Prejudices take a long time to overcome but I will try.”_ He had said that years ago when North had come out to them yet he still had referred to his and York’s relationship as disgusting, right to their faces. North’s hands grew white as he tightly gripped the wheel harder, dreading what was to come as he pulled into the restaurant's parking lot.

“Aunty South’s already here.” Theta noted, seeing his aunt's car pulled up close to the entrance. That eased something in the boys Pop. His sister and father got along better than he ever could dare to with the man, she would be able to keep him in his place… maybe.

“He had better not be drunk already.” The male grumbled while standing out of the car, shutting the door a little too roughly. Delta ended up by his side and the elder rubbed his back reassuringly. They shared a weak smile before following a bouncing Theta, York bringing up the rear. Before they entered, North took both Delta’s and York’s hand in his own, Theta opening the restaurant doors, his bad attitude left behind in the car. 

“C’mon! C’mon!” He grinned, excited to see his grandparents. He didn’t see them enough for his liking, it had probably been New Year's since dad organised a meet up and he couldn’t wait for a big hug from his Gammy or to introduce them to his new big brother. That part was the most exciting. Once they got close enough, he grabbed Delta’s hand and dragged him away from their Pop. “Let’s go find them.” They didn’t have to look far because suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around both of the children from behind, lifting both boys off their feet.

“There you are!” South laughed as she squished both children close with her death grip. Delta couldn’t help but chuckle as the strong female lowered them to the ground, kneeling down. “It’s about time you guys go here, I’m starving.” She joked, ruffling both their hairs roughly. South was ultimately the opposite to her twin. She was loud and brash, a social butterfly who had about as many friends as she did enemies. She wore a simple, knee length, light purple dress that clung to her just enough to show the slim but athletic figure she earned from rigorous kickboxing lessons.

“Someone looks great.” The blonde spun around to see her brother and his boyfriend standing behind her. York had his typical wry grin and she simply smiled, pulling him in for a one armed hug.

“When will you learn that I always look good?” She grinned. York complimented the newly applied pink tips and ran his fingers through her hair as North just watched. The two had met each other through Carolina’s kickboxing lessons. It had been South who set them up. Her intentions weren’t quite so pure as to find her brother a nice guy, she just thought he needed to get laid and believed York was just hot enough to do the job. She hadn’t expected to see it blossoming into something so serious but she was glad it worked out. This way she was able to hang it over his head whenever she needed something.

“Someone’s been drinking.” Her wet blanket of a brother noticed when she hugged him. There was no way he was missing the tell-tale pink of her cheeks. She wasn’t drunk, wasn’t even tipsy but if she was drinking then he certainly was.

“It’ll be fine.” She reassured him, patting his shoulder and turning to face all four of them. “C’mon, I’ll show you to the table.” 

York felt a bump against his hip and he looked to see Delta trying to squeeze between him and North. He stretched out to reassure his son but noticed how both the boy's smaller hands were wrapped around North’s large one, showing just how nervous he was. York hadn’t entirely agreed with North warning the boy about his father earlier in the day as now he seemed unnecessarily nervous without even having met the man. Still he decided this wasn’t his place to say anything and just followed.

“Gammy!” Theta broke from the crowd and ran over to an older woman, her white blonde hair pulled back in a bun. She bent down and scooped up the boy, holding him close to her chest.

“Oh my little Theta.” She pulled back and ruffled those beautiful curls that reminded her so much of her twins when they were his age. “You’re getting so big.” 

Delta gazed at the interactions, feeling a little more at ease. North's mother seemed nice, he had been so focused on meeting his dad he hadn’t considered what the woman would be like but he supposed North had to get his personality from somewhere.

“Hey mom.” North smiled weakly but it was genuine as his mother turned to face him. She grinned happily and placed Theta down, walking over to her child.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” She pulled him close, so thankful for those rare hugs she got with her boy. Delta squeezed North's hand so he could only wrap one arm around his mother before pulling back. 

“Mom… this is Delta, my son.” The boy felt his cheeks grow warm, still not entirely used to the introduction. Foreign blue eyes examined him, looking him up and down before staring directly into his own. He fixed his glasses and licked his dry lips.

“I-it’s nice to meet you miss…”

“Oh call me Gammy!” Not for the first time today he was pulled into another hug, this one less bone crushing that Aunty South's. North relaxed his hand to let the boy hug back and after a moment’s hesitation the child patted her back. She pulled away, smiling brightly as her hands cupped his cheeks, stroking through his hair. “Let me get a good look at you… so handsome. I hope my Northy isn’t too much of a handful.”

North smiled as Delta giggled at the nickname and nodded.

“I can handle him.” He reassured her, the woman kissing his forehead. She wasn’t very reserved when it came to expressing affection as evident by her excited squeal seeing York. She rushed over, hugging her son's’ boyfriend close and kissing his cheek. North wished so desperately he could see his mother more, however _he_ was never far behind, keeping the woman tightly under his thumb.

“North.” He spun around, the monotone voice causing the hairs to stand up on the back of his neck as he turned to see his father returning from the bar, a glass of Pinot for South in one hand and a beer in the other for himself. Typical.

“Dad.” Every member of the family turned to witness the interaction, tension filling the air. A protective arm wound around Delta. “This is Delta, my son.” The grey eyes staring at Delta now were nothing like North’s, Theta’s or even South’s when she was angry. They were cold and any warmth he felt from his interaction with his self-appointed Gammy left his body.

“Hello si-“

“South.” He turned away from the boy, blatantly ignoring him and offered South her drink. The woman floundered, looking disappointed in her father but taking her drink nonetheless. North's arms tensed and he knelt down, turning Delta to face him.

“Don’t start to worry.” He whispered, looking into his eyes and Delta could see the pain there. It clearly hurt North a lot more than the boy thought it would to see his father blank him. He just nodded, even though deep down he felt responsible for that pain and allowed North to bring him to the table where he sat between his fathers. Theta was on the other side, sitting on the table as his Gamma sat in the seat that was in front of him. He was much older than even his wife, almost bald with some strands of grey hair. Gary was much shorter than anyone else in his family and it looked like he had gained weight since North saw him last. The man had been a principal at a local school for almost his entire life, no one had liked him, not even North who denied any connection to him when he was attending classes. That ended a few years ago however, the man had been retired and probably had exhausted his retirement fund by now.

“How’s little Theta then?” He questioned with a weak smile that made North's blood boil. Theta would never remember when North brought him home after his birth, how his father called him a bastard child and told North he would ruin his life. Theta only saw the old man as a gruff but otherwise well-meaning figure which only occurred once the man realised Theta wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I’m good but erm…” The blonde boy looked over his shoulder to Delta, a confused look on his face. “Gamma you didn’t say hi to my brother.” The child sounded disappointed but his words surprised not only Delta but North as well. The newly turned five year old was normally oblivious to situations like this, Delta hadn’t expected him to notice the awkward interaction and he lowered his eyes, wanting to just disappear.

“Brother?” The old man scoffed and his wife shot him a warning glare.

“Gary.” She warned but there was nearly no point, the man would never listen to her, he never did but the foolish woman stayed by his side all the time.

“Delta you order anything you want.” North handed him a menu, ignoring his father and the emerald eyed boy blinked at the menu for a moment or two before taking it with a quiet thanks. Theta slipped off the table from the other side without an explanation, making his way back to the other side and stood behind Delta. 

“I wanna sit with Delta.” He requested, looking up to his Pop as he expected him to move to make that a reality. Instead York gathered his jacket.

“Hey bud, you can take my seat.” It seemed to satisfy him and soon he was sitting alongside his brother, York to his right. Theta shuffled his chair so it was pressed right next to the older boy and looked at the menu in his hands. He pointed at each meal individually, asking Delta to help him read what they were. Whether his attempt to distract the boy from the situation was intentional or not, it worked as the two scanned through the selection of foods together, North silently watching.

“So Minnie...how’s Georgia doing?” York questioned, gaining the attention of the table.

“Don’t ask.” Gary was the one to reply and his wife only gave a polite but apologetic smile causing North to scoff a little too loud. This was so typical him, his wife was always under his near tyrannical watch and now she wasn’t even allowed to hold her own conversations.

“So dad, York’s security business is really taking off.” South was the one to make another attempt at discussion after a failed attempt at flagging down a waiter. The older man just let out a gruff sound in response, eyes lingering over him

“How’s the new house treating you all?” Minnesota questioned her child and his partner, smiling to the two children as even they looked up. “Are you boys enjoying living together?”

“Playing house.” North took in a breath, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself commenting on his father’s words and managed to wave a waitress over.

“Boys why don’t you both order first?” York couldn’t hide the pitying look in his eyes. His partner always tried so hard not to demonise his father in front of Theta, while he would rant and rave about his dislike of the man to his lover. He knew his younger son loved the man and he really did try to respect that but it was so hard when he behaved like this. 

“May I get the tempura prawns?” Delta requested, for some reason earning a scoff from the older man across the table. North shot him an unimpressed look before turning back to the boy.

“Anything you want Delta. What about you Theta?”

“I want the same.” He chimed in, causing Delta to remind the boy how he didn’t like them when he tried them at the beach. “Okay Dee…I want nuggets!”

“Don’t be telling my grandson what he likes.” Gary warned the new child, glaring to him like he was staring at dirt. 

“Don’t you talk to my son like that!” North snapped, holding himself back from sounding too angry. A part of him wanted this to work out. After all, Theta for some reason still liked his Gamma, didn’t that mean there was a possibility that Delta too could somehow grow to like him? “Delta’s right,” He looked to the waitress “he would prefer chicken nuggets.” The rest of the table ordered with no one questioning North about his or his children’s choices. South led the conversation for a while, her father interacting as pleasantly as he could with her while North stewed in his own anger.

It frustrated him to see his parents and sister try act like things were alright when they clearly were not and never had been. Even as a child North remembered the many lies his father told them, from the small to grandiose. Gary hadn’t a good memory so he tripped over his fibs, contradicting himself constantly in an attempt to cover his drinking habits. To this day North was even more convinced the man had been unfaithful to his mother but the woman still sat beside him, trying to maintain the image of a happily married life.

The boys spoke among themselves mostly, Theta not paying as much attention to his grandparents as he normally would. He knew his sibling was feeling down. Despite their argument earlier, they were easily able to get back on the right track. He wished things were so easy with his father.

When the food came, things got easier for a while. Delta laughed as North tried to steal one of his prawns and managed to snatch a handful of his Pop’s sweet potato fries in retaliation for when he finally got one. Theta attempted to stuff all his food in his mouth at once in an attempt to keep it from older hands but one coughing fit and a glass of water later and he decided that wasn’t a very good idea. Instead he just licked each of the chicken nuggets, better to be safe.

South and York would laugh and joke like old friends and North even managed to have an actual conversation with his mother. It felt almost nice with the woman expressing interest in Delta, asking him about school and how it was to share a room with Theta. Things were going pretty well until his father’s fifth beer.

“So was there a reason you went for a black one?” He quizzed, unprovoked and entirely out of the blue. The table fell dead silent, Minnie appearing humiliated and an expression of pure, unadulterated rage took over North’s face.

“Excuse me?!” York was the one to talk up, hands on the table as he glared to Gary. Even South wasn’t trying to defuse this situation with a soft “Dad”, she just stared in horror. “What gives you the right?”

“I have every right to judge my son's lifestyle, at least he’s _my_ son.” The five year old looked from his now scary Gamma to his brother, seeing tears in Delta’s eyes was a little much for the younger child and he pulled at York’s shirt.

“Dad...” He whispered, causing another outburst from his grandfather.

“That’s man is not your father!” Gary’s grey eyes bore into the blonde child, his voice far too loud and gaining attention from other people around the restaurant. Minnie tried to calm him, resting a hand on his arm but he shook it off. The sound of a chair sliding across the floor was heard as North stood up, a dark look in his eye. His entire body was tense but all he did was take a deep breath.

“York, why don’t you bring the boys out to the car? We’re leaving.” Delta didn’t hesitate in standing up, pressing himself to North’s side.

“I’m so sorry.” He choked out, his Pop hushing him and stroking his back.

“Never apologise when you did nothing wrong.” He reminded the child, gazing back up to York. “I’ll be right out.” His lover didn’t hesitate, gathering the boys in his arms and ushering them away as North turned back to the table, hand in his pocket.

“North...” His mother stopped when he lifted a hand, gazing to her and his sister. 

“This isn’t about either of you.” He wasn’t rude, just reassuring them that everything he was about to say was only directed at one very specific person at this table. He faced his father, his eyes void of any of their usual warmth. “Despite what you think you know… you have no right to make any judgement on my life. Not with the life you gave me and South. She may have forgiven you but I never did, I just felt Theta deserved to have his grandparents in his life.” He could see his mother crying and his heart ached but he couldn’t stand by and not say anything. Not when Delta was probably crying his eyes out in the car. “But if you can’t accept my family then that’s not going to happen. Delta is my son… York is my boyfriend and I’m not letting you hurt them because you’re a miserable cunt.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me boy.” His father warned, his words no longer affecting North who glanced to heaven.

“You don’t tell me what to do; you haven’t for a long time. My life is mine to live and your involvement in it is entirely up to you at this point. If you continue being like this you’re not only going to lose me and Theta… but York and Delta too…. he’s an amazing kid dad. I adore him and if you want to miss out on that then it’s your fucking fault.” He fished out a fifty and tossed it on the table. “That should cover us.” His glare met his father’s once more. “I don’t need anything more from you.”

He wished he could have taken a moment to reassure his mother he loved her, to apologise for South if he embarrassed them but he could only turn away and storm off. The male was surprised to find York and the two boys still lingering, just far enough to hear everything. York’s look was apologetic and Delta’s shoulders were trembling in an attempt to stop his tears. Little Theta looked scared but he stretched out his hand and wrapped it around his father's, Delta doing the same.

“Let’s go home guys.” He could hardly bring himself to speak more than a whisper, following his lover out with both his children by his side.

***

“Ugh I don’t know! I gi-“

“YOU CAN’T GIVE UP!” Three voices screamed at once, laughter following as North stared at his family like they were insane. The table was a mess of cut up paper and open Dunkin Donuts boxes. In an attempt to cheer up his boys, North stopped at the store as they hadn’t had a chance to get dessert. He had probably spent a little too much on the baked goods as half of them were left with just one bite taken out of them but a combination of sweets and a quick game instigated by York had succeeded in cheering up his kids and to a lesser extent, himself.

“You LOVE him!”

“York? Delta? Theta?!” The two boys broke into fits of giggles and Theta shook his head.

“Nooooo.”

“Pop you’re so bad at this! Ask a question!” Delta demanded from his dad’s lap, York just smirking, having easily guessed every character he had been assigned. They had cut up pieces of paper that was still scattered around and each of them wrote random characters. Theta needed Delta’s help to write out any ideas he had. The aim of the game was to hold the piece of paper to your head so other could read it while you couldn’t and try to guess your character. York still had “Scoobi Du” in his hand, his final character but North was still on his first, which meant the boys were grilling him ruthlessly.

“Okay…so I’m a male….I’m…old…smart…and I’m in a book and tv show? Right?” The boys nodded at his recap and he hummed gently to himself. “And I love him…is it…Dumbledore?”

“Harry Potter’s not a TV show.” Delta giggled at the absurdity and North’s heart warmed, he was so thankful the boy was smiling again after those tears in the car. The entire event still bothered him but if his son was feeling better, he was too.

“Guys I can’t do this anymore I give up.” He lowered the paper, staring at the name and glanced up to his boys. “Sherlock Holmes isn’t OLD!” 

“He is, he’s almost as old as you.” Delta burst out laughing when his little brother said this but his laughter turned into a shriek as North lunged towards them, picking them both up over his shoulders.

“Alright you maggots, bedtime!” He demanded as York chuckled quietly, just watching as he twisted the piece of paper in his hands.

“You sound like Sarge.” He noted as North continued to carry both children over his shoulders as he left the room.

“No, then I’d be saying-GET TO BED DIRTBAGS!” His southern accent was awful but the boys still continued to laugh as he carried them to the bathroom and insisted they brush their teeth. “I’ll be checking them.” York heard him threaten as he tidied the sitting room before heading down to his and North’s bedroom. As he passed he could see the boys showing their Pop their sparkling teeth and the continued giggling really lifted his spirits. Earlier had been awful, North was still upset but he knew that but the boys were doing wonders to cheer his lover up. He let him have his fun with them, putting them to bed as he kicked off his trousers in their room, pulling his shirt off over his head. Before he could even free himself from the clothing, arms wrapped around him from behind and he could hear a soft sigh.

“I love you.” North whispered, just holding onto his partner as York tossed his t-shirt on the ground. He turned in the older man’s arms and cupped his cheeks, smiling.

“I love you too.” He responded, eyes flickering shut after leaning in for a kiss. North’s lips were dryer than usual but the familiar warmth spread through York as those large hands rested on his lower back, keeping him close. “You okay?” York whispered after pulling back from the lingering kiss, despite knowing the answer he still wanted to talk to his lover about what happened.

“I have the most amazing boyfriend and two beautiful kids.” He spoke softly and his smile was forced but there was truth to it. “I will be perfect.” He stole another quick kiss from York as someone rang their doorbell. It was much too late for guests and North appeared worried. “I swear to god if Epsilon got in a fight with Wash again…” York shrugged as his boyfriend pulled away and wandered into the hall, the person ringing the bell a second time. He was becoming annoyed as they did have kids trying to sleep in the house but that annoyance turned into anger once he opened the door.

“Wait stop!” Gary pressed his hand out and stopped the door from slamming in his face, North letting out a gruff sound.

“What do you want?” The door was opened just enough so his father couldn’t even see inside the hallway. 

“So this is the new house then?” The balding man raised a brow, noticing how he wasn’t welcome and North frowned.

“Did South tell you how to get here?”

“Now don’t be mad at your sister… why don’t you let me in and…”

“You’re not welcome in my home.” He wasn’t joking around, North had no intention of letting that man in here, not tonight at the very least. “I’ve just gotten _my_ kids to settle and after the way you behaved you don’t deserve…” A hand rested on North’s arm and he stopped, looking over his shoulder. Gary could see York standing there, only in his underwear. He couldn’t hide the look of disgust that crossed his face but York didn’t even acknowledge it.

“You okay?” He whispered and North nodded. He leaned back, kissing the corner of his lip. 

“You head to bed, I’ll be right there.” Hesitantly the brunette left the hallway and North turned back to his dad who was staring a little too intently at his letter box. “Did that bother you?”

“Does it matter if it did?” He challenged, finally looking back to North.

“Not to me… so what do you have to say for yourself? Because I have someone who loves me waiting for me to come back to bed, so...” He bit back a comment about that being something his father couldn’t relate to but unfortunately his mother did love the man.

“This life you’ve chosen…” He ignored his son's scoff. “I don’t know how comfortable I could ever be with it and yes, I know my comfort is the least of your priorities.”

“Dad I don’t care if you’re not comfortable.” He folded his arms, gazing to the smaller man. “I care that you hurt not only York but Delta… he’s a child and we’ve been trying so hard to make him feel part of this family and you manage to make him feel unwanted with just a few words. I don’t care if my “choices” make you uncomfortable because my choices are the best I can make for myself, Theta and the rest of my family.” He took in some breaths, brushing his fingers through his hair. “Honestly… your choices to drink all our money away and lie and cheat at every opportunity made me _uncomfortable_ but for Theta’s sake and mom’s sake I don’t bring that up… because despite how hard you tried to fuck me up I turned out better than you.”

“You don’t understand North. I was under a lot of stress back then…”

“So some stress from a school board or whoever justified you drinking away all our money but me… falling deeply in love with a wonderful man and his kid… that’s not justifiable?”

“Son you’re putting words in my…”

“Don’t call me son.” North spoke low, not wanting his family to hear him getting angry again. He could be sure neighbours noticed the interaction. Sarge was probably spying on him from across the road right now. “I told you… I’m done. You arrive on my doorstep and don’t even apologise for how you made my children feel. You just tell me how you can’t accept the life that I have… what am I supposed to take from this?”

“That I’m trying!” Gary snapped, looking to the eldest of his twins. “I know I fucked up… I know I hurt you and… and your mother… and I know how I behaved was wrong but I’m trying. The world is changing so quickly North, to you this is normal but to me… I saw men put in prison just for loving another man. This still is hard for me to wrap my head around and I’m not going to get over it in one night. I don’t think I could look at that kid in there and think of him as my grandson…” North was ready to slam the door on his father once more. “… but I also thought the same about Theta, and I know what you think of me but I do love the kid… and I do love you… I’m just struggling…”

Silence settled between them, it wasn’t comfortable, it was heavy and North found his thoughts suffocating him. Memories of feeling neglected, of begging his mother in the middle of the night to run away and every single lie this man told them to keep him from doing just that, they were all so fresh and never more so than now but North didn’t dare break the silence. This was Gary’s time to make an effort.

“I’m sorry.” He finally said, not elaborating any further as he placed his hands in his pockets and took a step back, hands in his pockets. “The house is nice… your mom’s dying to visit.” He turned his back without as much as a goodbye, clearly walking home. It wasn’t until he got to the pathway that North spoke up.

“Maybe sometime… you can bring her to see it.” He wasn’t entirely sure if his dad heard him or not but the way the man stopped for a moment suggested he did. North didn’t bother to watch him walk away; instead he closed the door and made his way back to his bedroom. After a brief stop to make sure the boys were asleep, he walked into his and York’s quarters. His lover was sitting up in the bed, still in just boxers and gave him a supportive smile. “I’m good.” North reassured him, stripping down to his own boxers and climbing into the bed. 

His hand gently slid across York’s toned stomach, pulling the younger man against him and he pressed a gentle but loving kiss to his lips. York let out a soft mewl at the contact, sinking into his lover's arms and North kept a comfortable hold on him before talking.

“I want us to adopt Delta.” He whispered, so quietly that York could have imagined it. His eyes widened, gazing to the man before him. The thought had entered his mind so many times since they moved in together. He wanted so desperately to figure out how to ask North if he was willing to and now here he was, the love of his life reading his mind. York was embarrassed to admit how quickly his eyes welled with tears and North took his hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. “Is that okay?”

“More than.” York half laughed, half hiccupped as his hand found the back of North’s head, pulling him close against his body and kissing him deeply. North needed to breathe desperately but he didn’t dare pull away, instead tugging the young man closer to him, resulting in him falling back onto the bed, York leaning above him. “Of course I want to… I want us to be a family.” He kissed his lover again, over and over, loving the happy chuckle that escaped North's lips. For the first time today he was happy, truly happy because he had the most wonderful partner and perfect family.

What more could a man want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The funny thing is the main reason Gamma has this role is because for a fleeting moment I thought Gamma sounded like a cute name for Theta to call his granddad and thus THIS ASSHAT WAS BORN!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family declare it's "Delta's Day" in which Delta gets to make all the decisions. Any kids dream right? So why can't Delta shake the suspicion that something else is going on behind the scenes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much once more to Thejokeristhethief for her superb corrections!

While most children would be psyched to have a day entirely devoted to doing everything they wanted, Delta was dubious.

“So where to next buddy?” North had asked him over an hour and a half ago after they got into the car, having just been at an antique book store he had spotted once or twice when going to Gammy and Gary’s.

“C’mon Dee, this is your day.” York chipped in as Theta whispered suggestions in his ear, his suggestions varying from the ice cream shop to Disneyworld. 

“Anywhere you want.” North would coax.

“Nothing's off limits… except Disneyworld, stop it Theta.”

They told him the same thing this morning when they woke him up, hovering over his bed. Delta had been pretty sure his dad was supposed to work this Saturday, he had some deal with a large client that had been up in the air and his plan was to close it today. So when he woke up to find both North and York at the foot of his bed, York saying he took the day off, he felt like something was going on.

They spontaneously declared it Delta’s day in which they would do anything he wanted. _“Nothing’s off limits.”_ So he decided to run with it. There was a new exhibit he wanted to see down at the science museum and, with little to no hesitation, they were in the car and on their way. Theta was still a little sleepy after having had a bad dream last night but, when his dad and Pop told him that they were having a Delta day, he jumped on board.

The museum ended up being a lot of fun for each of them. Theta adored the space exhibit, changing his mind from skateboarder to astronaut as his future career. Delta loved the new “Our Lives in Data” section which demonstrated the pros and cons of modern technology. There was even a talk about online habits. At first he claimed he didn’t want to listen because he was scared his family would get bored, but they knew him better than that. His fathers insisted they stay, allowing him to experience everything he wished.

They even signed up for a gaming competition next month that was designed to demonstrate the development and changes in video games over the years. Not to mention there was also a hundred dollar gift card for the winning team. Since adults were allowed to join in, York was already pumped for destroying the competition.

After the museum Delta was satisfied, thinking that was it for the day but his dads had other ideas.

 _“Nothing’s off limits.”_ He was reminded. _“It’s Delta **day** , not Delta gets to choose one thing and it’s over.”_ And so the bookstore followed. They spent longer in there than anticipated, Delta carrying out a total of seven new, leather bound books, one of which was a first edition of “Alice Through the Looking Glass” signed by Lewis Carroll. Theta and North found some books from North’s childhood that his son really wanted him to read to him, and York ran out of there like a thief, afraid that the shopkeeper would realise how much the Action Comic issue seven he sold was really worth.

“DisneyLAND then.” Theta dragged Delta from his thoughts as York chuckled.

“We’re too far away from any Disney park.” He informed the kid who sighed and rested his head against the car-seat's head rest.

“Fineee… beach then!”

“Theettaaa…” North’s voice was warm but warning. “It’s Delta’s choice.”

It was Delta’s choice, everything they had done so far had been a result of his decisions. He even got to choose what they had for breakfast and, aside from the happiest place on earth, there seemed to be no end to his options. He wouldn’t have asked to go to the beach before; it was over an hour’s journey away and it was almost evening time. Still he had to test his theory. “Alright… the beach then.”

An hour and a half later and here they were. It was almost seven, the evening chill was in the air already, and the beach was almost totally abandoned. They drove all the way to a small sea town of Zanzibar. It was a little tourist trap with a strip that included everything from arcades with retro games and cotton candy, to casinos where adults could have a little fun. The bright lights of the night time businesses were turning on and most people had retreated back there but not Delta and his family.

“How did you even think to bring swimming trunks?” He heard York question North from the secluded spot where the adults were changing into their shorts. The children did so in the car, the black out windows protecting them even though no one was around.

“I’m just that prepared.” A proud North replied with a chuckle that was shut up by a kiss. Delta had been paying particular attention to the grownups today, using any chance to listen in on their conversations. Something was going on, his birthday wasn’t until next month and he hadn’t done particularly any better in school than he had been, yet they were making a huge effort. For some reason it didn’t sit as well with him as it should have. He was hugely enjoying the day; all the events had been great, but it was the moments in between them, when the adults kept insisting it was his day, that made him unsettled.

Why was it his day?

“You boys ready yet?” North opened the door, peeking in at the two boys. Theta was wearing a wetsuit that was blue with a luminous red trimming while Delta’s knee length bagging swimming shorts were a dark green with a neon green pattern that reminded him of a circuit board. North wore a similar style that stopped just above the knee but the colour was purple. He also had on an old white tank top that he really just kept for working on his bike in the shed or in the garden. Behind him their dad pouted at the addition of his partner covering up.

“Oh c’mon it’s just us, you can show off the chest. I won’t get jealous.” He joked, gently tugging at the fabric but his hand was swatted away.

“Ah DAD!” Theta and Delta both shouted in disgust, finally seeing their father’s choice of swimwear.

“Oh I just got them, do you like?” York struck a pose, flexing his rather impressive muscles, but his boys were just trying not to look. While his gaudy gold swimming trunks weren’t necessarily tight, they were short and it looked more like he was walking around in underwear. “Oh guys don’t be like that, your Pop loves them.”

“I would like it to be made clear that I wanted you to buy the white board shorts and that you’re a big fat liar.” North chuckled as his lover kissed his cheek from behind.

“Oh whatever, why are we all huddled around the car? We’re at a beach!” York, as big a child as he was, rushed towards the ocean, not even hesitating on diving in. By the time the boys got out of the car he was jumping up out of the water with a yelp.

“Cold?” North called after him and the twenty-seven year old waved them in.

“N-n-no it’s g-g-great….. so-so warm….. c-c’mon in…” Despite his transparent lies, it didn’t stop the boys. After securing his glasses inside the car, Delta even got in on the action when Theta ran forward, declaring it a race. It was no competition as the taller boy easily passed out his younger brother, but his reward was a wave of cold water splashing over him. He stood frozen in one spot for a moment, eyes and mouth wide opened as the taste of salt water clung to his lips. Theta nearly broke down laughing only for it to be stopped when a smaller wave washed over his ankles, making him dance with the cold.

North had no difficulty. Swimming had always been his favourite activity growing up, be it the pool, ocean, or down at the river when he and South visited their grandparents. He had swam in water much colder than this, and his silently smug attitude about this fact just caused York to focus a little too much on splashing him in an attempt to make him as uncomfortable as the rest of them.

A few people passed by the beach while they were there. An elderly couple walking a dog, some local kids who gave up when they realised the water was cold, and a large group of teenagers who kept travelling further and further away until it looked like they were building a bonfire at the distant side of the strand. The water got warmer quickly enough, meaning it was easier to have fun now that the kids would get in passed their knees. 

Theta jumped on his Pop as he swam by but North didn’t hesitate in hoisting the boy on his shoulders and swimming him a little further out. With a shared smile, Delta got up on York’s shoulders so the inevitable game of Chicken Fight could occur. Delta really couldn’t remember a time when he had more fun than then. When the water started to chill again, they moved to the sandy beach, the two boys challenging their fathers to a sandcastle building competition. The two older men disagreed too much and in the end their castle looked more like a pile of sand with a shell on top because, realistically, that’s all it was.

It wasn’t quite dark when they left the beach, but after a good drying and a change of clothes (North really was prepared) they found themselves at the strip. Theta held onto Delta’s hand, mostly pointing out the food stands. There was cotton candy, followed by a hot dog vender, and even a doughnut stand. Delta hadn’t realised how starving he was until the delicious smells reached him.

“Is anyone hungry?” York questioned, resulting in a loud affirmation from Theta and a simple nod from Delta. “What do you feel like Delta?” There it was, that voice in the back of his head questioning what was going on.

“I-I…” He hesitated and looked from one to the other. Aside from Theta pining for cotton candy, none of them gave any indication of a preference. It was all about Delta. Delta's day.

“Here?” He stopped outside a small stall with seating around it. Really it was just the first place he saw but his family seemed happy with the idea of fish and chips. York sat down with the boys while North got their order. Twenty minutes later and they were sitting underneath an outdoor heater with their food. Theta scoffed down his fish fingers while Delta nibbled at his battered cod. He and North shared a bag of fries smothered in vinegar while York ate more than his half of the monkfish scampi.

This moment was the most relaxed of the day. There were plenty of distractions around with the sounds and lights of the night-time business district. York even saw someone he recognised and for a couple of minutes maintained a bilingual conversation with a man by the name of Lopez.

“I didn’t know you understood Spanish.” North noted when the tall, Latina male left, York still waving.

“I don’t.” He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. York and North got distracted when they realised more than one person they knew was here. They saw Frank DuFresne trying to blend among the crowd as he slipped into O’Malley’s as well as Connie. The smart clothes she was wearing made it look like she was here for business, not pleasure so they didn’t wave her over. Even Theta joined in on people spotting, leaving Delta alone with his thoughts for a while.

“So what do you think, Dee? Dee?” His head snapped up with a dazed expression and he saw three expectant pairs of eyes all staring towards him.

“Huh?” He looked to each of them in turn, confused.

“What next?” The weight on his chest was back.

_Thump._

“We could get dessert?”

“Or even go home.”

“I like dessert! Cotton candy!”

_Thump._

“Maybe Delta would like ice cream, Theta.”

“What do you think, Dee?”

_Thump._

“We could get both Delta!”

_Thump._

“Delta?”

_“Nothing’s off limits.”_

His chair made a crashing sound as he violently stood up, pulling the paper napkin away from his collar and tossing it on the table. Without as much as a word the slim boy turned and ran away towards the beach. He heard them scream out his name but he broke into a sprint, not thinking straight. The boy wasn’t crying but his chest was so tight, the thumping of his heart making it hard to breathe. Recklessly, he shoved people aside, stumbling from the wooden boards of the strip onto the sandy beach. He just ran until his little legs gave out, just out of reach of the water and that’s when the tears came.

“DELTAA!” He didn’t move as he heard them approach, his running away wasn’t an attempt to get further from them exactly. He just needed to get away from the fear that kept following him all day, like a shadowy figure in the corner of his eye. Running hadn’t helped, if anything it only helped it catch him faster.

“Delta, oh god!” A breathless York reached him first, North pulling up the rear with Theta clinging to his back as he carried him. The brunette flung himself to the sandy ground, arms wrapping around the boy, who howled in his arms, clinging to him.

“I’m sorry!” He loudly cried out. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t ever be sorry, just don’t run away from us again!” York pleaded, cupping his cheeks and kissing his forehead, eyes closing shut as he buried his face in Delta’s curls. “Please don’t do that again…” Theta’s smaller arms wrapped around the boy from behind after North dropped him to the sand. The blonde child was shaking, breathing heavily despite having not run.

“Delta, please don’t cry.” He focused on his brother right now in this moment, already forgiving him for running. North’s fingers slipped through his dark hair and he leaned in, kissing his temple.

“It’s okay kiddo, we’re here.” Delta continued to apologise as he shivered. He couldn’t even free his hand to rub away his tears because of the three holding him.

“Whatever I did I’m sorry… please don’t send me away.” He finally whispered after what could have been moments or hours. York and North shared a look over his head, both pulling back just enough so they could see his face. Theta was still holding on from behind.

“What do you mean?” The child hiccupped, finally able to bury his eyes against the heel of his palm before rubbing his nose along his sleeve with a loud sniffle.

“E-Every time… before they send me back t-they do something nice.” He explained, shivering from his tears and the cold. “M-Mrs. Kimball brought me on a picnic and the family before that took me to the zoo…. for all I know my parents brought me to Disneyland before they put me in care.” The tears rolled down his cheeks. Having been in the system since he was only a baby, he had no memory of his parents. Switching homes was all he knew until now. “Please don’t send me away! I love being a part of this family, please!” His voice was weak despite how he clearly tried to yell his affirmation that he loved being with them all. His large, terrified eyes stared to his father figures who shared a look.

“Delta’s leaving?!” Theta piped up, misunderstanding what was happening. His grip became tighter. “No! He’s my brother and I’m staying with him!” Delta couldn’t understand why there was a hint of a smile on North’s lips when his eyes were watery or why York let out that relieved laugh. He tried to be furious, he was begging them to keep him and they were smiling and laughing. Yet once their arms wrapped around him and his brother, he couldn’t be angry.

“You are going nowhere if we can help it.” York promised, North’s face burying in his hair.

“Oh god Delta you couldn’t be more wrong.” Unsure what they meant, Delta didn’t question it. He just allowed himself to take a moment to appreciate their words. They weren’t sending him away; he could still be with them all. They gave him a few moments to calm his tears, having to compose themselves as well. 

After a while the four of them were just sitting in the sand, the beach completely deserted. It was dark by now and even the smoking bonfire remains were ditched long ago. They could still hear the distant music of the casinos and the chatter of people but their world was peaceful. Theta was curled up on North’s lap, Delta in between him and York with the both of them squished against either side. His Pop's hand was on his back and his dad's in his hair as they looked out to the water.

“I’m sorry if we scared you.” York apologised, not for the first time but at least Delta could hear it over his tears this time. He didn’t say anything; just let his head flop to the side so it was resting against his dad. 

“Your dad and I really just wanted this to be a special day.” North chimed in, his supportive hand rubbing up and down his back. By now Theta was asleep against his Pop’s chest but they didn’t wake him up. The child wasn’t really going to understand what was about to happen anyway.

“But it’s not my birthday.” He really couldn’t figure out their motivations. 

“I know buddy but… there’s a reason we wanted today to be special, to be all about you.” The child felt so confused, he couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening right now. North looked up to his lover. He’d love to be the one to ask Delta but he knew his partner felt the same. His hand moved from Delta’s back, stroking York’s arm. “Why don’t you do the honours?”

The look on York’s face was thankful and he smiled, nodding.

“Delta…” He loved those green eyes so much and he knew North felt the same. There was no doubt in his voice as he spoke to the boy. “North and I wanted to ask whether… you’d be okay with us adopting you.”

Stunned silence followed the question and North chimed in.

“You see Delta… there’s just… certain legal rights your dad and I don’t have and… well...” He was here trying to explain the legal side of things to a child as if needing to justify why they wished to do this.

“It’s entirely up to you.” York continued.

“Of course just… look buddy…” The young boy turned to face his Pop. “I love you, your dad loves you, and you are Theta’s favourite person in the whole world… this situation is almost perfect but we don’t want to risk _anything_ taking you away from us.”

“We just… wanted to be sure you want the same.” This morning York had been full of confidence that their plan was going to work. Delta would have the greatest day in history, after which he’d joyfully accept what they asked. Instead it had been an emotional rollercoaster and he never anticipated an answer so much in his life. Doubt took root. What if the boy had changed his mind in the last few minutes? What if their stunt had triggered something deep down and he was unable to forgive them?

“I…” The child struggled, taking in a tight breath and, as calm and composed as Delta tried to appear, he couldn’t stop himself as he flung his arms around his dad. “I want you to!” He buried his face against York’s shirt, smiling passed the tears that rolled down his cheeks. He couldn’t contain the goofy grin but it was okay, neither could either of his parents. York let out a victory yell, pulling himself off the sand and slipping his hands under Delta’s arms. Despite the boy being tall for his age he was lifted off the ground easily, York holding him tight against his chest.

“You mean it?!” He needed reassurance as he looked to the boy holding onto him. The child grinned broadly and nodded his head before looking around for his Pop. Theta was beginning to wake with the excited cheers, rubbing his eyes. The moment North could, he stood, his son clinging to him tightly so he wouldn’t let him down.

“C’mere you!” North’s strong arm slipped between Delta and York, pulling the young boy into his arm so he had one son on each. Theta was finally waking properly with a sleepy _“whut?”_ and North chuckled, bouncing his left arm a little to encourage him to open his eyes. “Theta wake up bud, I think your brother, dad, and I need help celebrating.” 

Eyes still struggling to open, the confused and pouty Theta just flailed out his hand until it came in contact with Delta, pulling him in for a sleepy hug. It took no time for York’s arms to fling around as much of the three of them as he could reach, joining in on the action. He couldn’t ever remember a moment where he had felt so completely and utterly happy with his life. Even after he pulled away to watch the man of his dreams celebrating with both their kids in his arms, laughing and cheering with Delta and a newly woken Theta, he couldn’t understand how he became so lucky.

He came into this world to a family who never loved him and spent his entirely life feeling forced onto other families. Twenty-seven years old he was now, standing on a cold beach with his shorts a little damp from the sand, his cheeks noticeably tear stained from the emotional roller coaster of a day, and he knew he could never have chosen a more perfect group to call his family.

 

***

“Is Simmons with him this time?”

“No, he left like fifteen minutes ago.” York adjusted his position on the couch from kneeling and leaning over the back, gazing out the window to curl up beside his lover of almost four years. Outside their window, their adorable kids were selling the strawberries they had worked hard to grow outside in their garden, wanting to run their own business like their dad. “I’m really proud of them. They put a lot of work into this.” North’s hand on his back was reassuring, keeping him close, making him feel safe.

“I know.” The warm response came back as North turned the page of his book and read in silence for a couple of moments. York saw him turn the corner of the page to mark it before closing over the cover. “So hey, have you heard anything…”

“They said it could be another month….possibly more….” York’s frustrated sigh was echoed by his boyfriend. “I rang up earlier to see how things were going, did they need to talk to more people, if they were satisfied and she swore they were but if so…then what’s taking so long?” North felt him slowly snuggle against him more. “I just want us to be a family.”

“We are a family.” North reassured him, despite knowing exactly how he felt. It had been nearing two years since they asked Delta if they could adopt him. They had taken action immediately after the boy said yes, wanting so desperately to have all of this behind them, but it was taking a lot longer than either had expected.

The adoption crowd were interviewing every single person they possibly could about whether North and York would make good enough parents to the boy. The inspections were becoming old, there were only so many times Aiden Price could walk through their house that they could stand. It was a much longer process than they had ever thought it would be but they knew it would be worth it. As the two boys burst in, having sold their last strawberry they knew they wouldn’t have to question their choices. Delta was their son, he was Theta’s brother, and whether it took two years or twenty, the two men were going to make sure no one would ever be able to take him away from that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter of this particular story but it's arc will continue throughout my little series. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)


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